PFA Scotland call for artificial pitches ban in Scottish Premiership
Thursday 14 February 2019 12:08, UK
PFA Scotland members are calling for artificial pitches to be banned in the Scottish Premiership.
Players from the Premiership, expect those at Hamilton, Kilmarnock and Livingston, who use the artificial surface, have signed the Improving Pitches Petition to the SPFL.
Every club representative in the Championship, League One and League Two in Scotland has also signed on behalf of his team-mates wanting the SPFL to introduce a blanket policy to ensure all surfaces - artificial or grass - are maintained to the highest standards possible.
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard called for plastic pitches to be outlawed in elite football earlier in the season, while Brendan Rodgers has previously complained in the past about the surface impacting the quality of football.
The submission of the petition follows a joint survey with the Scottish FA on artificial surfaces in 2013 and the use of the PitchRater App, which sought to seek professional player feedback concerning the surfaces in the game in Scotland.
PFA Scotland chief executive Fraser Wishart said in a statement: "This is a strong, powerful message from our members, those that actually play the game.
"It is abundantly clear from our conversations with all 42 squads our members feel passionately about Scottish football and care about the image and perception of the game they love. Football is of course an entertainment industry, but our members do not enjoy playing on artificial surfaces in particular.
"The SPFL recently agreed television contracts meaning Premiership matches will be seen all over the world; this can only be good for Scottish football which is in a good place now.
"To keep improving, and to capitalise on the feel good factor, our members are of the view that having quality pitches to play on is of vital importance."
